Posted - 07/04/2013 : 15:22:06 So apparently, Grabovski had a phone call with Jonas Siegel who is from the radio show on 1050 for TSN, andthis is what Grabo had to say as per twitter @jonasTSN1050

Just got off the phone with Grabovski: "Of course I feel [expletive] sad, I played [expletive] five years here." ....Grabovski had some pretty blistering remarks toward Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. Called him a "stupid coach" among other things. ....A taste of Grabovski on Carlyle: "Donít put me on a [expletive] third line and then [expletive] play [me] six minutes in a game."

now granted he could just be angry about being bought out and the whole third line thing but seriously grabo you are about to become a free agent do you really think other teams are gonna read this and think hey this is a guy i want on my team!

no way man you just shot yourself in the foot.

16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)

mandree888

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 16:30:26 ok so i must have been one of the few here that was NOT a grabo fan. but looking back on his time in TO the only bad thing i could think of was taht he didnt pass the puck enough. i was counting the days until he was no longer a leaf. adn then burk gave him that stupid contract! even still these remarks he made i believe will bite him in the arse big time. no professionalism here at all. i agree he can make an impact on another team (not just an offensive team as he isnt horrible at the defensive side of the game) but i honestly think he would be lucky if he gets 3 mil after comments like this

Guest6770

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 12:11:15 not a bad player just a bad contract

JOSHUACANADA

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 11:12:11

quote:Originally posted by slozo

quote:Originally posted by Beans15

Ahh Leafland. You guys make me laugh at how quickly you turn on players that are no longer wearing the proper jersey.

To Joshua's point, Grabo may well have been completely justified in his comments. I guess players are never allowed to disagree with a coach??

On a side note, I went to school with a guy who played in the NHL recently. I wouldn't call him a 'friend' any longer as it has been years since I have seen him. He played for 5 different NHL teams and a number of coaches, including Carlyle in Anaheim. He said he never had an issue with Carlyle but he did say of all the team he played on, more players disliked Carlyle than any other coach of any other team he played for.

Carlylye is a hard guy to play for and it's well documented. I don't think Grabovksi is far off. Now, he could of handled it more professionally but I think he earned his place with the Leafs and deserved better treatment.

He would look fine as the guy taking Horcoff's spot in Edmonton. Not at $5.5 million but at a reasonable cap hit, he's a great 2/3 line centre.

Ottawa, the best coached team in the NHL, with MVP like players such as Chris Neil, will win the Cup in 2013!

I really resent that remark Beans.

Edmonton would be great for Grabovski . . . his stats will be great as a 1st or 2nd line centre on a non-playoff team with no defence.

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

It might offend you, but that is dead on for the majority of Toronto fans, the majority of which may not include you. Grabo is on to a better opportunity for him. Maybe not a better team, but a better opportunity.

"I now realise that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canada's finest hockey team, is better than the Ottawa Senators - and always will be. PS - LOVE that Dion Phaneuf! "

Beans15

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 10:45:06 Never said I agreed with you Slozo. Those are your words, not mine.

But with the massive aquisition of Boyd Gordon, I don't think Edmonton has the room for a player like Grabovski......

Bold moves. Effin MacTavish!

Ottawa, the best coached team in the NHL, with MVP like players such as Chris Neil, will win the Cup in 2013!

slozo

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 09:22:18

quote:Originally posted by Beans15

Ahh Leafland. You guys make me laugh at how quickly you turn on players that are no longer wearing the proper jersey.

To Joshua's point, Grabo may well have been completely justified in his comments. I guess players are never allowed to disagree with a coach??

On a side note, I went to school with a guy who played in the NHL recently. I wouldn't call him a 'friend' any longer as it has been years since I have seen him. He played for 5 different NHL teams and a number of coaches, including Carlyle in Anaheim. He said he never had an issue with Carlyle but he did say of all the team he played on, more players disliked Carlyle than any other coach of any other team he played for.

Carlylye is a hard guy to play for and it's well documented. I don't think Grabovksi is far off. Now, he could of handled it more professionally but I think he earned his place with the Leafs and deserved better treatment.

He would look fine as the guy taking Horcoff's spot in Edmonton. Not at $5.5 million but at a reasonable cap hit, he's a great 2/3 line centre.

Ottawa, the best coached team in the NHL, with MVP like players such as Chris Neil, will win the Cup in 2013!

I really resent that remark Beans.

Edmonton would be great for Grabovski . . . his stats will be great as a 1st or 2nd line centre on a non-playoff team with no defence.

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Alex116

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 08:55:58 Slozo, you brought a tear to my eye with that. Okay, not really, i say that in jest.

As far as his "real colors", i don't think for a second that what he said will impact his chances at signing anywhere else. I think some will consider it a positive that he was that pissed at being let go and will see him being motivated to prove the Leafs wrong!

He'll likely end up signing with an NHL team.

Beans15

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 07:20:55 Ahh Leafland. You guys make me laugh at how quickly you turn on players that are no longer wearing the proper jersey.

To Joshua's point, Grabo may well have been completely justified in his comments. I guess players are never allowed to disagree with a coach??

On a side note, I went to school with a guy who played in the NHL recently. I wouldn't call him a 'friend' any longer as it has been years since I have seen him. He played for 5 different NHL teams and a number of coaches, including Carlyle in Anaheim. He said he never had an issue with Carlyle but he did say of all the team he played on, more players disliked Carlyle than any other coach of any other team he played for.

Carlylye is a hard guy to play for and it's well documented. I don't think Grabovksi is far off. Now, he could of handled it more professionally but I think he earned his place with the Leafs and deserved better treatment.

He would look fine as the guy taking Horcoff's spot in Edmonton. Not at $5.5 million but at a reasonable cap hit, he's a great 2/3 line centre.

Ottawa, the best coached team in the NHL, with MVP like players such as Chris Neil, will win the Cup in 2013!

Leafs81

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 06:29:31 Slozo... that is golden. Well said. I couldn't agree more. Hats off to you!

slozo

Posted - 07/05/2013 : 05:49:12 As a Leaf fan,I have very mixed emotions on Grabovski . . . and my opinion has actually turned a bit on him since the buyout. I've had time to reflect on things, and now listen to Grabo's very emotional reaction - a day before his wedding. (Note to hockey players: don't plan your wedding to happen a day after the deadline to get bought out, knowing you have a contract that makes it a distinct possibility)

Many if not most Leaf fans loved Grabovski, and I was among them. It sure wasn't love at first sight, but I thought he had strong potential, as long as he eventually got out of "sergei Berezin" mode (skating and stick-handling with great skill from end to the other, and invariably taking a shot no matter what happened - usually with little effect, resulting in a turnover). And he did get much better.

But it wasn't his skill level that made us Leafers really love the guy . . . it was his "heart". He got knocked around, checked hard, but the guy was like a rubber ball, just kept bouncing back up for more. And he was a relentless skater at times, and his dogged determination and generally very strong work ethic made us love him. Leafers love those lunchpail guys, especially ones with skill.

There is a lot of background noise on Grabovski though, much of it negative . . . and it is easy to see, even from his emotional reaction (understandable to some degree, but again, not to the degree he went to at all, that was totally unprofessional) that he was a bit of a loose cannon. What Grabovski failed to mention in his diatribe, was that he LOST his second line minutes to a better player (Kadri). He failed to mention that although he had been tried out with Kessel . . . he was a terrible fit with him, and that was never going to work out (not just under Carlyle, Wilson too had fiddled with him on the top line). And on top of that, his most productive years had been when Kulemin and MacArthur had career years, but ever since Kulemin especially returned back to earth . . . his production also dropped dramatically. His north/south style was good for a few good rushes a game, but no sustained pressure in the offensive zone, and many giveaways.

So yes, he was demoted to the third line . . . appropriately, because every other coach would have also done the same thing - Kadri should not have been playing third line minutes, and with the way the team was constituted, neither should have Bozak. So yes, he was given a new role.

And instead of embracing it, he failed miserably at it. And he was, just as much as Carlyle, also responsible for that Game 7 collapse.

Looking back and reflecting . . . there MUST be a reason why Montreal, his former team, hated him so much it was like a manhunt on the ice every time we played them. Will it be the same for the Leafs when he gets a new team? We shall see. There was the Grabo incident during the Olympics with the bar fight . . . and there is this undeniable fact that no matter how much heart he showed in getting up every time, the guy was just constantly getting knocked around and getting put on his butt. Rubber ball or not, you can't be remotely effective on your butt half the time.

Grabo, we loved you for your heart - but I have a feeling, just reading between the lines, that you weren't loved in the dressing room. Grabo, you complain about your coach being "dumb", but that coach did what your buddy Ron couldn't do in 4 years - put the Leafs in the playoffs, well above expectations. That fact alone totally discounts your argument about his hockey knowledge and prowess . . . it's an irrevocable fact. Carlyle MUST have done the right moves in shifting players, since he performed well above expectations with the line-up he had.

So to Grabo, I say good bye. I will always remember that game against Boston, where you got crushed by Chara twice, one of them so bad it looked like you had gotten a severe concussion, then came back and scored the game winner on a one-on-three rush with a minute to go. You were a determined little bulldog out there, and when you were here, we loved you for it.

Good luck out there for some non-playoff team, hopefully one where they can use you on their top line and you can have another good statistical year.

"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug

Guest4602

Posted - 07/04/2013 : 20:50:35 As far I can remeber Randy Caryle may be stupid but he something Grabo well never have a Cup Ring...

I think he has a clue on what he is doing....

Grabo go to the islanders you tool u suck...

Guest7856

Posted - 07/04/2013 : 18:31:23

quote:Originally posted by mandree888

so apparently grabo ha d aphone call with jonas siegel who is from the radio show on 1050 for TSNthis is what grabo had to say as per twiter @jonasTSN1050 Just got off the phone with Grabovski: "Of course I feel [expletive] sad, I played [expletive] five years here." ....Grabovski had some pretty blistering remarks toward Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. Called him a "stupid coach" among other things. ....A taste of Grabovski on Carlyle: "Donít put me on a [expletive] third line and then [expletive] play [me] six minutes in a game."

now granted he could just be angry about being bought out and the whole third line thing but seriously grabo you are about to become a free agent do you really think other teams are gonna read this and think hey this is a guy i want on my team!

no way man you just shot yourself in the foot.

What?Some poor Leaf media guy got offended by Grabo's language?It's a cultural thing too.From where Grabo is from, probably people normally express themselves with evey emotion when they are angry, and they don't give a darn about who they offend.Leaf media culture, on the other hand, is better, right?Yeah.....They are worse than vultures when they smell a story. Anything to make a headline, even at the cost of someone's reputation or career.You had a coversation with a guymthat was just sent packing for whatever reason... Great! Now what's your next step?Tweet something about it to create "breaking news" from top notch reporter.

Leafs81

Posted - 07/04/2013 : 18:09:37 Grabovski got outplayed by Kadri last year and therefor got a defensive role. He was also a victim of having a contract paying higher then his potential. Many players were in the same situation as him and didn't rant like that in the media.

Grabovski was awesome in Toronto, always willing to give it all and he stayed away from all the controversy (something he couldn't do in Montreal) He is a great player and team player and I wish him well.

I agree with Mandree, what he wrote (out of emotions) will get back at him. But if he really wants to stay in the NHL, he'll find a contract here, maybe not as much as the KHL though.

mandree888

Posted - 07/04/2013 : 16:41:23 not gunna lie i think no team is going to give him what he wants and he is goning to bolt to the KHL! and i persoanlly belive it is this interview to thank for it.

don't get me wrong i think he could have made an impact on another team. the oilercould have paired him up with yakupov for instance. i just think he handled this poorley.

JOSHUACANADA

Posted - 07/04/2013 : 16:22:24 I agree, but at least it doesn't give any team looking for his services the indication that he thinks he is a 3rd line player, who is not worth his contract. I think a team will take a short term chance with him based on his previous years histories and hope he gets stronger with his physical play. That seems to be the biggest knock on him.

"I now realise that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canada's finest hockey team, is better than the Ottawa Senators - and always will be. PS - LOVE that Dion Phaneuf! "

mandree888

Posted - 07/04/2013 : 15:51:16 joshua fair enough he may or may not have been justified. but what i was getting at was this was stupid to say when you are out looking for a new team. this comments are that of someone thay complains IMHO. not a team player willing to play what ver role the teams needs. that is what i mean by the shot himself in the foot comment.

JOSHUACANADA

Posted - 07/04/2013 : 15:35:58 Or maybe Grabo is justified. I thought a lot of people were very critical of his play last year in a tough situation. If you look at his corsi numbers (corsi is an indication of how a player is playing vs level of opposing players) you might not think his play was sooo bad it deserved the demotion to the 3rd line, criticizm and the possibility of a buyout. I have link an article for NHL.com which refers to this.